Telegraphic safety device.



PATE-NTED MAY-7,1907. s. R. WRIGHT. Y TELBGRAPHIG SAFETY DBVIGB.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-- 7, 19,03.

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THE mamas PETERS co., WAShINGTON, b. c

No. 852,43 v l PATBNTED MAY 7, 1907. s. R. WRIGHT. TELEGRAPHIO SAFBTYDEVIGB. AIPLIOATIQN FILED AUG. 7. 1903.

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UNITED STATES PATENT orruon.

SELDEN R. WVRIGHT, OF MORTON, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO CIRCUIT PRO- TEOTING RELAY COMPANY, OF ROCHESTER,

TION OF NEW YORK.

NEW YORK, A CORPORA- TELEGRAPHIC SAFETY DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May '7, 1907.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, SELDEN R. WRIGHT, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Morton, in the county of Orleans and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Telegraphic Safety Devices, of which the following is a specification.

1 This invention relates to telegraphic safety apparatus and consists in the mechanism hereinafter described and claimed.

; This device is in the nature of an improvement upon the devices set forth in my Patents, Nos. 643,706 and 704,165. In the present device the apparatus is made compact, and is adapted to control several keys through a single relay in the main line.

In the drawings :Figure 1 is a front view of an apparatus embodying this invention, the cover of the case being removed; Fig. 2 is an end view of the same device, a portion of the case being removed to show construction; Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are views of details.

The case 1 contains the whole mechanism comprising the relay 2 of any suitable form. The circuit 3 to the magnets of said relay is interposed in the main line by any suitable means such as the binding posts 4.

The armature of the relay in the usual way makes and breaks a circuit 5, for throwing in a local battery to operate a sounder. The binding posts 6 enable this connection to be made. In the case 1 is also the time or clock mechanitm 7, having upon one of its axles a ratchet wheel 8 adapted to make contact with and operate a ratchet bar 9, which has ratchet teeth adapted to mesh with the teeth of the ratchet wheel 8. The extreme end of the ratchet bar 9 has no teeth, so that it may lie upon the ratchet wheel without being actuated. The ratchet bar passes through a slotted support 10, so that said bar is capable not only of swinging upon said support to and from the ratchet wheel 8, but also of longitudinal movement through said support.

The extreme e d of the ratchet bar 9 is flanged, or enlarged, as at 11, in order not to slip through the slotted support 10, and also in order to give bearing for an adjustable lever 12 pivoted at 13 in the case 1, and adapted to operate a latch lever 14. The lever 12 has an adjusting screw 15, adapted to lengthen or shorten the time when the lever 14 will be released. The support 10 has an adjusting screw 16 adapted to limit the motion of the lever 12 toward it, and the lever 12 has an adjusting screw 17 adapted to strike the plate 11 of the ratchet bar 9, and to determine the time when the said ratchet bar will touch and lift the lever 12. The lever 12 also operates the contact 18 of the bell 19, if a mechanical bell is selected, but said contact may complete a circuit through binding posts 20 to an electrical bell of any suitable construction. pg, The ratchet bar or lever 9 is slotted at or about its middle, as at 21, Fig. 5, and through said slot passes a rod 22, having upon it a stop 23 attached to the armature arm 24 of the relay 2. The other end of the bar 22 is attached to a spring 25, whose tension may be increased or decreased, as for instance by the cord 26, and the winding device 27. The ratchet bar 9 has attached to it a spring 28, whose tension may be increased or decreased by any suitable mechanism, such as the cord 29 and winding device 30. All this mechanism may be on the front of the supporting plate 31. The latch lever 14, however, may conveniently pass through this plate. On the other side of the plate 31 is a contact mechanism controlled by the latch lever 14. The said lever has in it a notch 32, whereby a retainer lever 33 is held in position. The last mentioned lever has a lug 34 adapted to fit in said notch. The said lever 33 is pivoted at 35 to the casing or to the plate 31, and said lever has an insulated portion 36, which, when the lug 34 is in the notch 32, rests upon two contact springs 37 and 38, and in this position keeps said springs away from their contacts 39 and 40, and prevents any current from flowing through either of said contacts. A third spring 41 is adapted to make contact with the lever 33, when said lever is held in the notch 32 of the trip lever 14. A circuit provided with terminal binding osts 42 is connected with the spring 41, and with the lever 33, so that when the lever 33 is latched to the trip lever 14, this circuit 43 is made. This may be used as the ground connection.

Pairs of binding posts 44 and 45, in the form of device shown in the drawings, constitute independent connections for keys.

The circuit 46 of the binding post 44 runs on one side to the spring tongue 37, and on the other side to the contact 39. The circuit 47 of the binding posts 45 runs on one side to the tongue 38 and to the contact 40. These binding posts 44 and 45 may be employed to form connections for shunt circuits around keys, in the manner well known from mysaid two patents.

The eration of the device is as follows: The bin ing osts 4 having been connected in the main'i; inc, and the circuit 5 having been connected to the local sounder, as usual, if the main line circuit through the relay 2 is broken as in ordinary telegraphing, the short period during which said main line is broken does not cause operation of the device for the safety purpose hereinafter mentioned. The movement of the armature of the relay causes rapid vibration of the ratchet bar 9, and it engages with and disengages from the ratchet wheel 8, remaining in engagement so short a time, as not to produce the effects hereinafter mentioned. In case the main line 3 is broken for a longer time than that mentioned, the magnets of the relay are deenergized, and the spring pulls the armature arm away from the magnets, and moves the stop 23 away from the ratchet bar 9, whereupon the spring 28 pulls said ratchet bar into contact with the ratchet wheel 8, and inasmuch as the clock is running and the ratchet wheel is revolving in the direction of the arrow, the ratchet bar 9 begins to rise. The setting devices 15, 16 and 17 have already been set, so that after a predetermined length of time the lever 12 will have been raised by the ratchet bar 9 to a height sufficient to ring the mechanical bell 9, or the electric bell attached to the posts 20, and also the inner end of the trip lever 14 thus depressing the outer end of said lever, and releasing the lever 33 from it. The spring tongues 37, 38 and 41 are already under compression, and throw the lever outward in Fig. 2. The compression of the tongues 37 and 38 is rather greater than that of the tongue 41, so that the lever 33 is, by the movement just described, disconnected from the arm 41 and the current stops flowing through the circuit 43. But this movement permits the tongues 37 and 38 to make contact with the other contact devices 39 and 40, and thus to close the shunt circuits 46 and 47 around the key or keys to which said circuits may be applied. This position of the parts continues until the ratchet wheel 8 runs off the ratchet teeth of the bars 9 and rests against the smooth portion of the end thereof, and in this position the parts continue indefinitely, untilreturned to place by the operator, or whenever the main line circuit is closed.

As an additional safety device a post 48 is placed within the casing carrying a pointer 49 adapted to extend into proximity to the spring 50 of the clock movement, so that when the spring is expanded, by reason of the clock movement having run down to a par-' ticular extent, a contact will be made between said pointer 49 and the spring 50. A circuit is made by the W1I6S51- through the clock frame and said pointer 49, to the binding posts 20 of the electric bell, so that whenever the clock runs down the bell will ring continuously.

The slotted connection of the ratchet bar 9 with the relay bar 22 is for the purpose of giving free movement vertically to the ratchet bar 9, and also to permit free adjust ment of the relay for the movement of its armature. This is the referred form, but the arm 22 may be made ast to the armature arm 9 and the stop 23 together with the spring 28, and the same operation will occur, except that when the ratchet bar 9 is moved longltudinally the bar 22 and spring 25 are bent sidewise.

What I claim is 1. The combination of an electromagnet, a main line connection therefor, a connection from a normally open circuit, a time mechanism, a circuit closing mechanism for said normally open circuit comprising a part which, when the circuit to the main line connection is broken, is automatically moved into connection with said time mechanism and is moved thereby for a predetermined period of time, and a spring actuated contact device in said normally open circuit connection that is movable upon operation of said automatically moved part.

2. The combination of an electromagnet, a main line connection therefor, a connection from a normally open circuit, a time mechanism, a circuit closing mechanism for said normally open circuit comprising a part which, when the circuit to the main line connection is broken, is automatically moved into connection with said time mechanism and is moved thereby for a predetermined eriod of time, a spring actuated contact device in said normally open circuit connection, a retainer therefor, and means for releasing said retainer upon operation of said automatically moved part.

3. The combination of an electromagnet, a main line connection therefor, a connection from a normally open circuit, a time mechanism, a circuit closing mechanism for said normally open circult comprising a part which, when the circuit to the main line 0011 nection is broken, is automatically moved into connection with said time mechanism and is moved thereby for a predetermined period of time, a s ring actuated contact device in said norma y open circuit connection, a latch therefor, and means for releasing said latch upon operation of said automatically moved part.

4. The combination of an electromagnet, a

main line connection therefor, a connection from a normally open circuit and contact apparatus in said circuit, a retainer lever for holding said contact device in one position, a latch lever for said retainer lever, a time mechanism, and means operated by said time mechanism for releasing said retainer lever from said latch lever.

5. The combination of an electromagnet having an armature, a main line connection therefor, a connection from a normally open circuit, a time mechanism a circuit closing mechanism in said circuit, a latch for holding said circuit closing mechanism open, and

'means for releasing said latch upon movement of said armature.

6. The combinatlon of an electromagnet having an armature, a maln l1ne connectlon therefor, a connection from a normally open circuit, a time mechanism, comprising a ratchet Wheel, a ratchet bar adapted to be operated by said ratchet Wheel and having a slot, an armature bar attached to said armature and passing through said slot and having a stop thereon, a spring for pulling said armature bar against the magnetic action, means for pulling the ratchet bar into contact With the ratchet Wheel, whereby the ad justment of the electromagnet is independent of the ratchet bar, and connections from said ratchet bar for closing said normally open circuit.

SELDEN R. WRIGHT. Witnesses:

D. GU'RNEE, I. B. BUTLER. 

